Does the media support inclusion - or 'gender fracking'?

Every now and then I go back to my Chemical Engineering roots and research an impactful issue. This time, I decided to explore the science - and controversy - around large scale fracking.

What is fracking?

Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well. (Source – Google Snippets)

Why is fracking dangerous?

Earthquake-level tremors, drinking water pollution and seriously tainted air are real side effects. For instance, the significant wastewater that flows back to the surface is found to contain fracking fluid chemicals, along with toxic chemicals and radioactive materials from the bedrock it shatters.

I also read about how these dangers are minimized, settlements paid, gag orders instituted - when people get sick and water is contaminated. And the practice continues on a fairly large scale in multiple areas. Multiple studies have been published about the harmful long term effects of fracking on the environment. Here is an extract from the Forbes article cited below:

“There is growing evidence of a variety of health problems being associated with fracking. Common sense dictates that drinking and breathing cancer-causing agents will take their toll. The correlation is too strong to ignore, especially when we have other, cleaner energy options. For our safety and that of future generations, we should not allow the new administration to sell off public lands, nor allow drilling on our land, and should ban fracking completely.”

 https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2017/02/23/fracking-is-dangerous-to-your-health-heres-why/#3087e645945f

Why are these risks being downplayed – is it just for short term financial gain, or a genuine lack of awareness of the dangers of continuing along this path?

While preparing for a talk on gender inclusion – the parallels suddenly hit me.

Is this the same phenomenon that we are experiencing in the media? i.e. - is the media indulging in ‘gender fracking’ for short term gain – or, are they working towards gender inclusion?

I have written earlier about the two halves of the gender gap B.R.I.D.G.E. Before we can do the B.R.I. – Building and Reinforcing Inclusion –we have to work on the D.G.E. –i.e. Destroy the Guardrails of Exclusion. Which leads to the next, most critical question:

What is the impact of media on gender stereotyping and gender inclusion?

This is my direct message to producers, creators and developers of media: Media as defined by television, movies, songs, books and artwork to social media, news and video games –everything listed in the visual above. Are you promoting gender stereotypes in your work for short term gain? As a video game developer – do your story lines – and visuals – objectify women? As an advertising agency - is your latest commercial trying to sell ‘sex’ for short term gains?

If the answer is yes, then what are you going to do to ‘stop gender fracking in the media?’

Speaking to the same target audience – the media – can we acknowledge and applaud the groundbreaking work of those who are seeking to break the mold? Thank you for building and reinforcing inclusion:

• Black Panther – which broke both racial AND gender stereotypes on multiple levels. Portraying an African nation as being wealthy and highly developed (a far cry from prevalent stereotypes of poverty and ignorance). In addition, Princess Shuri redefined the word ‘princess’ at multiple levels. A young woman of color who is also a technological genius? Kudos!
• How about Halloween the movie which released this week – the largest box office opening for a film with a woman (the legendary Jamie Lee Curtis) over the age of 55 in the lead role? This one combats ageism and gender.
• Does hearing ‘I am brave, I am bruised, this who I’m meant to be’ in the song ‘This is me’(The Greatest Showman) impact us positively? How do these lyrics encourage ‘different’ men and women to be proud of who they are, across the gender spectrum?
• What is your reaction to the Dove - Real Women Campaign? Is it a relief or…? The average dress size for women in the US is size 14, according to a recent study. And yet - the advertising world typically depicts women of sizes 0 to 4. How did seeing average and plus size women in underwear in the Dove billboards impact you?

Now let’s look at the ‘so what’ for us, the final consumer of all this media. If we don’t act differently, nothing moves forward. It is both our duty, and pleasure, to bridge the gender gap one small step at a time. For starters, let’s manage how media and gender co-exist in our personal space:

·      First, can we use emotional intelligence, specifically reality testing and self-awareness, to become ‘exclusion exterminators'? Let’s vote with our feet and refuse to cater to any more ‘gender fracking’. It is polluting the metaphorical water our young children are drinking and we need to clean up the mess.

·      Second, let’s actively support those that are building and reinforcing inclusion in the media. By voting with our feet.

·      Finally, let’s exercise our right to control the onslaught of media in our homes. Let’s turn off the old fashioned, biases, one sided TV show or news report. Let’s analyze the gender impact of songs our children listen to. Let’s be selective in movies our children watch, and how they depict the gender spectrum.

Let me be very clear – I have zero vested interest in any of the products or organizations listed above. This is as neutral and fact based an opinion as I can express – of the world as I see it. And so, therefore, it is biased! On fracking, on media, on gender bias itself. Because it is only one person’s view, based on articles that I have read, and personal observations over time. Read the alternate point of view before you decide. The articles about why fracking is ‘good for the environment’. The people who explain why it’s good business to portray men and women in the media a certain way.

Then, and only then, form your own, balanced opinion.

As always, thoughts and comments welcome.

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Debjani Biswas is an internationally bestselling and #1 Amazon Author: Miserably Successful No More, #UsToo: Bridging the Global Gender Gap amzn.to/2sL5LGX and Unleash the Power of Diversity. A sought after global keynote speaker, Ms. Biswas recently completed her first TEDx Talk on #UsToo - Shattering Gender Stereotypes Together, and will speak at her second TEDx Talk "But you don't look like an engineer - tools for Gender Inclusion' in late 2018. Ms. Biswas is the 2017 GDAACC Award Winner in Journalism for 'Diversity Beyond Boundaries.

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